Asia
Taiwan accuses Chinese trolls of sowing virus panic
Taiwan authorities have accused Chinese internet trolls of sowing panic over the coronavirus outbreak, with much of the disinformation falsely implying the island has an out of control epidemic.
Police say they are investigating a surge of stories spreading online and through social media claiming President Tsai Ing-wen’s government was trying to cover up an outbreak.
“We suspect that mainland Chinese Internet trolls are making up and spreading the false messages based on the content and the phrases,” Taiwan’s Investigation Bureau said in a statement late Wednesday.
“The intent is to cause misunderstanding among the public and to sow panic to seriously jeopardise our social stability,” it added.
Tsai, who won a landslide second term in January and is loathed by Beijing, took to Facebook to warn people against believing rumours.
While she did not mention China by name, she hinted at linguistic clues suggesting much of the misinformation was being written outside of Taiwan.
“Some of the rumours even contain phrases not used in Taiwan,” she wrote.
One key language difference is that Taiwan uses traditional Chinese characters, not the simplified versions used on the mainland.
Despite its cultural links and close proximity to China, Taiwan moved swiftly against the outbreak, quickly restricting and then banning arrivals from the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau.
It currently has 32 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with one death.
The coronavirus outbreak has only added to tensions between Taiwan and China.
Beijing regards the self-ruled democracy as its own territory and has kept it frozen out of international bodies including the World Health Organization.
And the island has long been a target for Chinese nationalist internet trolls seeking to undermine public faith in Tsai’s government.
Analysts say trolls have got better in recent years at deploying traditional Chinese and Taiwanese phrasing.
But much of the current misinformation on the virus appears to be more rudimentary.
Examples of disinformation given by the Investigation Bureau was one false social media message claiming to be written by the child of a ruling party councillor saying Taipei “dares not disclose over 500 infections and 200 deaths”.
Another false message alleged that the administration of “Governor Tsai,” a term used by mainland Chinese to refer to the president, was covering up the cremation of bodies, the bureau said.
Taiwan’s FactCheck Centre — an independent organisation that debunks misinformation — said there has been a surge in false posts deploying simplified characters or common phrases used in mainland China.
“New variants of such disinformation keeping coming out to spread falsehoods in an attempt to create panic,” the centre wrote.
“We urge readers not to forward these messages but to verify and discredit them.”
– AFP
Asia
Up to 200 athletes tested for doping so far at Asian Games
Between 150 and 200 Asian Games athletes tested for doping, yielding no positive results. Anti-doping efforts emphasized for a clean event, focusing on record-breakers.
HANGZHOU, CHINA — Between 150 and 200 Asian Games athletes have already been tested for doping, the Olympic Council of Asia said on Monday, with no positive results so far.
Speaking at an anti-doping press conference on the second full day of the Games in the Chinese city of Hangzhou, the OCA said dope-testing was “gaining momentum” at the event.
Mani Jegathesan, an adviser to the OCA anti-doping committee, warned that drug cheats would be rooted out.
Up to 200 athletes have been tested so far, he said, but any positive results will take several days to come through.
“Every athlete participating in these Games must understand that they could be picked at any time,” Jegathesan warned.
“That is the best step to ensuring we have a clean event.”
There are about 12,000 athletes at the 19th Asian Games, more competitors than the Olympics, and Jegathesan admitted it would be impossible to test them all.
Instead, they will prioritise, including picking out those who break world or Asian records.
— AFP
Asia
Foodpanda’s restructuring amid sale speculations
Food delivery giant Foodpanda, a subsidiary of Delivery Hero, announces staff layoffs in the Asia-Pacific region, aiming for increased efficiency. This move coincides with ongoing talks about potentially selling parts of its 11-year-old business.
Foodpanda, a subsidiary of Delivery Hero, is initiating undisclosed staff reductions in the Asia-Pacific region, as discussions continue regarding the potential sale of a portion of its 11-year-old food delivery business.
In a memorandum circulated to employees on 21 September, Foodpanda CEO Jakob Angele conveyed the company’s intent to become more streamlined, efficient, and agile.
Although the exact number of affected employees was not disclosed, the emphasis was on enhancing operational efficiency for the future.
No mention was made in the memo regarding the reports of Foodpanda’s potential sale in Singapore and six other Southeast Asian markets, possibly to Grab or other interested buyers.
Foodpanda had previously conducted staff layoffs in February and September 2022. These actions come as the company faces mounting pressure to achieve profitability, particularly in challenging economic conditions.
The regulatory filings of Foodpanda’s Singapore entity for the fiscal year 2022, ending on 31 Dec, indicated a loss of S$42.7 million despite generating revenue of S$256.7 million.
Angele further explained that Foodpanda intends to review its organizational structure, including both regional and country teams, with some reporting lines being reassigned to different leaders. Additionally, certain functions will be consolidated into regional teams.
Expressing regret over the challenging decisions, Angele assured affected employees of a severance package, paid gardening leave, and extended medical insurance coverage where feasible.
Foodpanda will also forego the usual waiting period for long-term incentive plan grants, and vesting will continue until the last employment date. Employees will retain all vested shares as of their last day of employment.
Foodpanda, established in 2012 and headquartered in Singapore, became a part of Delivery Hero in 2016. The company operates in 11 markets across the Asia-Pacific region, excluding its exit from the Japanese market last year.
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